Born In Fire
by Marie Aithne
Summary: Dr. Neila D'Arcy lived a fairly ordinary life after escaping from her abusive home, but when she was locking up the clinic one night she found a man who had been shot and decided to take him in. One choice set into action a change that will shape her future and possibly that of the Avengers. A new threat is rising, and she is going to help stop it.
1. Chapter 1

"Hello." 17 year old Neila D'Arcy-Shultz said quietly to the her father, who was too busy watching the Cowboys and the Packers play to do more than shoo her away, for which she was grateful. She walked quietly down the hall to her room, closed her door, and prayed he forgot about her.

She had set it all up months ago, she just needed courage. Her friend was waiting for her outside, while she packed her little amount of clothes, cash Neila stole from her dads wallet and off his ATM card, and a few remaining books she hadn't secretly taken to her new apartment over the past month. She was glad they lived on the first floor, getting out her window was easy. She darted off into the evening's dying light toward the car of her friend, which meant safety.

She stopped at the new black Ford F150 which was very out of place in this old crappy dump of a neighborhood. She threw her stuff in the second row of seats as she clamored into the passenger's side. "Thanks Andy." She said to the man in the driver's seat. He shifted to drive and smiled at her. "Any time Nelly."

Andy was a Marine that Nelly had met two years ago while they both volunteered at a local wildlife rehab center. Her dad was furious when he found out about her working there on the weekends. He swore at her about how stupid she was she couldn't even find a paying job, just gave up her labor for free, she made a smart remark about how he never paid her and she came back a few days later with some bruises. None of the other volunteers said anything, they just assumed. Andy was different, he was furious with what had happened because they had grown fairly close, helped her plan her escape.

She looked over at him now and smiled while they were driving down the road. He had light brown hair, which was shaved close to his head, and blue eyes with a bit of brown surrounding the iris. His face was oval shaped with a strong jaw and full lips. He liked to wear suits, shades, and keep a short goatee. At 6' 3" he was fairly imposing with a gun as well as extremely hot. He looked in his late twenties but was only 23. Andy… He was her only friend.

After an hour and a half ride a few cities over, Andy dropped Nelly off at an apartment complex. "Bye Nelly." Andy said when Nelly had gotten out. "See you later Andy." She smiled at him. He gave her a sad smile and rolled up the window. She waved goodbye and turned to walk into her new home. She turned on the light to her apartment when she opened her door. A new start, finally. College class started in two months, she was 18 in 5 days, and she started her job at the vet clinic in 6 days

_She never heard from Andy again._

**11 years later**

Neila D'Arcy-Shultz, had dropped the Shultz part of her name, and added on Doctor. On her office desk there was a shiny tag that read Dr. Neila D'Arcy D.V.M. She was very proud of that shiny tag. She smiled and walked out the door of her new veterinary clinic. The sign read D'Arcy Animal Hospital. She worked there with three other veterinarians she had hired right out of vet school, not that she wasn't a newbie as well. She was proud of her hospital, her sign, and her name tag though, because it had come from hard work.

Nelly went to her car, humming to herself and went to get out her keys when she saw somebody stumbling toward her clinic. Checking her pocket for her knife, she ran over and caught him just as he collapsed. "Are you alright, sir?" She asked laying him down gently and checking him over for injuries. "My chest…leg...bullet." He managed to breath out. He had blonde hair, an oval face with blue eyes and thin lips. "Come on I'll fix you up. Can you walk?" She asked and he nodded. She helped him limp into the hospital where she put him on the table reserved normally for large dog surgery. She put on gloves and a coat. "I can't put you out, you have lost too much blood and it would raise your risk of dying. I can give you this though." She applied a numbing agent and gave him a shot of it as well. "Do you know if the bullet went through?" She asked while taking off his shirt and cleaning up the front of his chest. "Yes for chest, no for leg." He said through his teeth. She pulled out some tools and supplies. "I'll have to suture them, and dig the bullet out of your leg, is that okay?" She said standing back a bit. He nodded yes. "Okay, here we go." She cleaned the rest of his chest enough that she could clean suture, and wrap his chest. Then she moved to his back and started to work faster as he started to black out. She finished his leg in record time and laid him back on the table. He was sweating from the pain, he hadn't been fully numbed during the procedure and looked funny with one leg on his jeans gone and no shirt. "Whiskey." He whispered. "That wouldn't be too smart right now. Water would be better. I am going to call the police." She responded. She got him a cup to sip down, but had put a little bit of a sleeping drug in it. "No police. Not until I can stand." He mumbled. He was out in after that with a surprised look on his face.

Neila sighed and wrapped him in one of the blankets she kept in her office when she slept over. She put his arm around her and carried him to her car. She draped him across the back seat and got in the front to drive to her house. She carried him in through the door between her garage and house and laid him on her couch for the minute. "Do I have anything that might fit him…" She thought to herself. Nelly rummaged through her clothes and found a pair of sweats that were that had belonged to her ex boyfriend. She left them in her bathroom where she carried him and put him in the bath. She peeled the bloody jeans and boxers off him; she washed around the wrapped and sterile band aids, keeping them dry with plastic bags.

When she finished, she dried and dressed him. She put him in the main floor guest room/office with no windows, and locked the door. She went up to her room and took a shower, didn't want him sneaking out and killing her in her sleep…

Nelly woke up at 7am the next morning and made a light snack before checking on her guest, who was still asleep but alive, and went for a jog through her large chunk of forest with her dogs before taking care of her cows, chickens, and horses. She went back inside, took a quick shower, unlocked her guest's door, and made breakfast all by 10am. She flipped on the news while she made her spicy avocado breakfast burrito and a cup of green tea. Turning, she saw the man limping into the kitchen. "Sit mister, and I'll make you breakfast." She smirked at him. He looked like he had a really hard night; pale, bruised, and limping. "Excuse me… Who are you?" He said sitting down at her small circle breakfast table.

**OPV**

Captain America woke in a stranger's room. The walls were a light spring green with a white trim and one wall was just deep red wood bookcases embedded in the wall. In front of that was a large oak desk. He was currently sleeping on a leather coach that doubled as an apparent fold out bed. His sheets were plain white with a patchwork quilt cover. He tried to sit up and collapsed back. The memory of getting shot twice flashed back to him. He hadn't expected that while walking down the street. He managed to stumble farther down looking for help when he came to "D'Arcy Animal Hospital" and found a woman there. No, she was a vet there. Green eyes, auburn hair, freckles on her nose, tall, lean, confident. He tried to sit up again, using his other arm. He stood up putting most of his weight on his left leg instead of his right and limped toward the door. The hall was a darker shade of green but more like spring grass green, it had white trim as well, and white daisy's stood on a table at the end of the hall in front of a mirror. He limped over and saw rolling hills with dogs barking and cows chewing on grass in the pasture. "Where am I?" He whispered. He limped down the hall toward the source of the good smell and noise, passing various pieces of art on his way.

He found the vet resting her arms on the counter watching the TV with a cup of something in her hand. She took a sip and turned to face him. With a smirk and a look at him she stated "Sit mister, and I'll make you breakfast." He wasn't going to refuse food when he was this hungry so he sat at her small circle breakfast table. "Excuse me… Who are you?" He asked. She didn't answer him so he studied his surroundings again.

There was sliding glass doors onto a back patio and lots of windows through the kitchen and living room area. The kitchen had marble counters, tile floors, and new appliances. It was a spacious kitchen, painted a light yellow like the breakfast area, with three more stools against the bar that stood as separation between the two. There was an island in the middle that had pans and some utensils hanging from it. "Pancakes okay?" She asked getting the mix out. "Yes." He said focusing his attention on her. He was right, confident, cocky, and very pretty. "My name is Doctor Neila D'Arcy, veterinary medicine." She looked at him as if to say "and you?" He thought for a second and told her "Roger Stevens" a lie, but she didn't know that. "Nice to meet you Mr. Stevens. Do you mind if I ask why you were shot?" She inquired, turning back to his pancakes. "I wish I knew myself, one minute I am out walking, the next I have two bullets in me." He said feeling his shoulder with his head down. He realized these sweats weren't his. They actually had a girly scent to them. _Hers, _he thought to himself. "Where are my clothes?"He inquired. "Torn to hell, caked in blood too, so I threw them away." She answered putting a plate in front of him. "Thank you Dr. D'Arcy." He said digging into the food, he was starving.

**Neila's POV**

"I am here to help Mr. Stevens. You said last night for me to call the police when you could walk. I called them when I heard you get up." She reported, raising her eyebrows and watching his reaction. "That is good." He said slowly. "I'm glad you think so, they will be here soon." She said putting her mug in the sink. "What happened last night after you drugged me?" He asked raising his eyebrows at her in accusation. She had been looking through her cabinet for something and looked at him from around the cupboard door. She looked back into the cabinet before closing it, putting her full attention on the man. "I gave you some valium. You had to get a large dosage too, more than the normal person to knock you out. I was worried once the adrenaline wore off you would go into shock. Not legal but it was also for my own safety." She told him crossing her arms. He took notice of the wiry muscle there. "What happened after that?" He asked leaning forward slightly.

"Well I wrapped you up in one of my blankets and put you in the back seat of my truck and drove home, where I was headed when I found you. I put you in the tub, gave you a scrub down to get rid of the blood, dirt, and sweat all over you. Then I threw out your messed up clothes, searched through my closet, found my recent ex boyfriends old sweat pants he left, put you in them and left you in the guest room after making sure you would probably live." She told him with a shrug. "You bathed me?" He asked, his face turning a slight pink shade. "Well I couldn't let your wounds get infected, and I didn't want to put you all dirty and gross on my nice guest bed. No big deal. You're lucky you found me in the parking lot and not one of the other vets. Most of us don't do humans. Hence being animal doctors, but I have first aid training." She said. "Thank you Dr. D'Arcy."

"Like I said, no problem." She responded. The door bell rang and she walked out of the kitchen down a wood floored hallway to an oak door in the entryway. "Good Morning Officer Campbell!" Neila chirped to the older man in uniform. "Mornin' Doc how have ya been?" The man took off his hat and ran a hand through his graying hair. His blue eyes met hers and he smiled, crow's feet appearing by his eyes. "Just fine how are Bowie and Elizabeth?" She asked taking his coat and hanging it in her closet. "They are just fine. Liz is expanding the garden and Bowie is trying to help dig up some more earth with her newly healed leg." He answered with a deep chuckle. "Well the man is in the kitchen." She said to him and with that Officer Campbell stood taller and walked into the kitchen. Nelia followed him. "Hello Son, Officer Benjamin Campbell." Officer Campbell greeted. "Sir. My name is Roger Stevens." Roger introduced himself standing and shaking the officer's hand. "Just some questions about what happened. See, Doctor D'Arcy told us that she found you yesterday and administered first aid to two bullet wounds last night. After asking her to put off calling the police she brought you home, cleaned you, and put you up in her guest room is that right?" He asked. "Yes sir, that is correct." Roger responded, thankfully not adding the large dose of valium she had given him to the story. "Now I need some of your basic information. Do you have your ID on you son?" He asked the shirtless man taking in his almost uncomfortably too small sweats. "No sir, my things are in my car by my flat." He said to the officer. _Wow, old world respect for authority. Nice. _Neila thought with a smirk while watching the officer sit with the attractive man at her table. _Attractive? Yeah I guess he is attractive. Tall, probably 6'2" and about 240 lbs. Practically impossible to drag into my truck or my house. _She thought. "Where do you live Mr. Stevens?" Officer Campbell asked him. "1941 Sentinel Blvd, Massachusetts." He reported still standing while Campbell had taken a seat. _Blonde hair, blue eyes… nothing like my previous boyfriends… Jeesh Nelia stop it! You don't even know the guy. You found him after he was shot for pete's sake, he could be in the mafia or a gang or worse…_She watched his arms flex slightly along with some of the muscles in his back ripple with a shiver from the cold. _So what if he is a bad boy? _She smirked with that thought.

"Do you know why anyone would want to kill you Mr. Stevens?" Campbell asked. "Yes sir but with all due respect I do not believe you have the security clearance to know who or what." Roger stated. "Were you in the military or something son?" Campbell asked cautiously. "Yes sir." Rogers answered him. "Well I will get a hold of the people in that jurisdiction then." Campbell said standing. "Tell them that the Captain is part of the Shield project." He told Campbell who nodded. "I can give you a ride to your flat now if you would like." The officer stated and Roger nodded. " Thank you Doctor D'Arcy. I will bring these pants back after I have washed them." He said standing to leave. "Anything I can do to help." She said. He walked over to her and paused awkwardly before shaking her hand. She smirked and watched them leave.

Later that evening Neila was called into work for an emergency surgery on a dog that had GDV (gastric dilatation volvulus). It was too late to save the five year old dog, and it had passed on during the surgery. She stitched Milo the Great Dane back up and had a rough conversation with the owners, a 50 year old couple that were heartbroken but thankfully understanding. Neila stayed late again that night to close up. Opting to stay in her office and grieve for her patient for an extra hour rather than go home right away.

It was about the same time she had found Roger when she left the building. She turned her back to lock up the back door and went out front to double check the front door and that it was locked. She went to turn back around when she was grabbed around the waist. "Don't you dare scream." A low voice practically growled at her with a heavy Russian accent. "Get your hands off me." She growled back struggling against his grip. "*poluchit' povyazku , a zatem pomoch' mne postavit' yeye v mashinu" He said to and she heard another set of footsteps approaching. _Damn it! _She thought. She kicked her right leg back against his as hard as she could and then stomped down hearing the satisfying crunch of bones breaking in his feet. Her elbow went into his abdomen knocking the wind out of him. He loosened his grip around her waist just enough so that she could whip around, grab his shoulder and head, and bring them down to her knee. He gasped at the pain and let go of her completely and she darted toward her truck, glad she already had her keys in hand.

She was grabbed again but this time a knife glinted against her neck, the blade very close to breaking skin. "Come quietly with us lady, and maybe we will kill you earlier in mercy." The other man said, walking in front of her. "Why do you want me?" She asked with a glare that could seriously kill. "We don't want you beauty, we want your little boyfriend." He answered pouring some chemical on a cloth. "Nightie night." He said covering her mouth and nose with it. She struggled and held her breath in the hopes that somebody would drive by and see what was going on, but black started to form at the edges of her vision, and a motorcycle rolled onto the parking lot. The rider jumped off and threw off his helmet. Blonde hair and blue eyes was the last thing she saw as she accidentally gasped, and the world faded to black.

*get the blindfold and then help me get her in the car


	2. Chapter 2

"Are you awake?" A gentle deep voice asked. Neila sat up quickly, her head starting to spin. She touched her hand to her head in pain as a bright light filled her eyes. She quickly closed them. She felt like she had been hit on the head… with a brick... multiple times. Neila groaned remembering what had happened prior to blacking out. "You saved me…" She whispered, looking into the eyes of none other than Roger Stevens. "I returned a favor, I am glad I got there when I did." He told her. "Are those men… dead?" She asked in a soft voice. "No, they are being interrogated. I am so sorry I brought you into this mess." He said softly. "What mess have you brought me into exactly?" She asked, taking the glass of water he gave her. "It is complicated." He said apologetically. "You said you work for the government. Does that mean this is some international top secret thing?" Her head felt much better after she finished the glass and put it on the night stand. "Yes, kind of." He said standing. "Where am I?" She asked looking around at the plain and orderly room. It's walls were white, the chest across from the bed had nothing on it. The desk was organized so everything was squared off. The room screamed military cleanliness.

"This is my room, and we are in my apartment that I share with some… special roommates." He said wincing slightly. "Who are your roommates…?" She asked as a man with jet black hair, a stubbly face, and brown clever eyes waltzed in like he owned the place and smirked at Neila. "Well look! Our latest damsel in distress is awake. How are you doing Sleeping Beauty?" He said with sarcasm. "Fine thank you." She said glaring at him. He was already getting on her nerves. "I am Tony Stark. Iron man is my super hero name. You already are acquainted with Captain America I see, as you are in his bed." He wiggled his eye brows at her and she went to protest but he put up a finger. "Jarvis, ask Pepper to bring our guest some breakfast." He commanded to no one in particular. Then a voice was heard over some intercom system. "She would like to know what Dr. D'Arcy prefers." A British voice replied. "Well?" Mr. Stark looked expectantly at Neila. "French Toast?" She asked. "You heard the lady, French toast it is Jarvis." Tony told the automated voice. "Yes, sir." The British computer responded. "Where exactly am I?" Neila asked. "In the Avengers tower. Home to the greatest heros." Tony said with a bow. She just stared at him like he had grown three heads.

"Oh my goodness! I have to get home, my animals, my garden!" Neila cried suddenly. She jumped out of the now messy bed and ran to the door to see the hallway. "Dr. D'Arcy, let me give you a ride." Captain America called, rushing out after her. "That may be best." She said looking back to him. He motioned for her to follow him. She walked quickly by him. He was at least 5 inches taller than her, with a much longer stride. "Never mind about the food unless Pepper wants to make me something Jarvis!" Tony said before shaking his head

Steve led her to an elevator and down to a garage full of cars. He stopped at an older Harley and motioned for her to get behind him once he was on. He revved the engine to life and shot onto the busy streets of New York City, somehow making it out onto the country roads outside of Brooklyn fairly quickly. He pulled to a stop at the house after winding down her driveway.

She ran for the front door, unlocked it, and yanked it open. Steven walked in after he parked his bike. The image before him brought a smile to his face. Three different dogs were chowing down as Neila was racing around trying to find something. A Basset Hound, a black lab puppy, and a giant Great Pyrenees bounded over to him for a good sniff and rub down after they finished their very late breakfast. "Come on, Outside." She called to them from the back door. All three dogs bounded for the kitchen and out sliding glass doors to the barn after their master. Steven shifted uncomfortably… weighing whether he should stay or leave.

His curiosity won the battle, as he hadn't seen what a modern farm was like. He walked over to the stables where he heard her talking in a soft gentle voice to some of the horses in her barn. "Lily, Calm. Hush, hush." She spoke to the startled large ebony colored horse. "That thing is huge." He whispered from a few stalls down. "He is a Percheron. Of course he is huge. He is also blind and I walked in here too quickly. I scared him." She said softly hushing the horse and running her hand along his side. "Is he the only horse you have?" Steve asked. "No, I tend to adopt horses in need, so I have two more. One I can actually ride, Brix, and another who is a retired barrel racer who had a bad fracture." She told him pointing to the other two horses one a chocolate brown and the other a golden brown with a white stripe down his face. "How did you afford all of this?" He gestured to the barn and horses. "I inherited money from a great grandfather or something. I was just called to a lawyer's office and given a big check. So I started my practice, and saved as I earned money to buy this place, my dream home." She told him leaving the stall and moving to another room with bins in it.

He followed as she scooped what seemed to him to be random cups of grain into a bucket and then put water in the three buckets until the mix was soupy. "They all don't like to drink enough water so I have to water their food down more than most people would." She said as he watched her grab the buckets. "Let me help you with that." He said reaching for two of the buckets. She let him, showing him how to pour the feed into the buckets inside the stall from a large square above it. The horses contently ate while she cleaned out the bucket and walked back over to the super hero. "You lied to me." She accused after they stood a moment in silence. He made a sound of confusion. Turning away from the view outside the barn he waited for her to continue. "You said your name is Roger Stevens. It's Steven Rogers." She said waiting for him to speak as a lazy bumble bee floated through the barn. "Yes, a very small change to conceal my true identity and protect myself. I never thought I would see you again, much less get you involved in this… dangerous affair." He shrugged. "Understand Dr. D'Arcy, I am not the lying type of man but I will do what I have to, to protect the citizens of the country and try not to blow my cover while doing so." He told her standing a little taller. "Your size doesn't intimidate me, if that is what you are going for." She quipped at him, turning on her heel. She whistled for her dogs, which came from around the back entrance to her barn and padded softly by the horses. "I would never try to harm or intimidate a woman. I was raised in a time where women were…" She cut him off from his macho rant. "Where women were objectified, forced into a role considered feminine by men, and told to stand there and be pretty on the arm of a husband who probably wasn't faithful or good in bed. Is that close to the very blunt truth?" She finished for him, the words slipping out of her mouth in a harsh hiss. "Well I don't know about that last one…" He smirked trying to lighten the mood.

She turned a glare on him, before rinsing out the buckets and managing to spray some water on her jeans. She opened the back stall doors of her horses stalls to let them go out to pasture before Steve asked "so you live here and take care of this farm by yourself as well as running the clinic?" "Yeah." Neila replied with a shrug. "There are three other vets that work at the clinic. We have a schedule so I don't work everyday." She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear as she informed him that she was not working that day.

They went back inside the house and she turned on her coffee maker. "Do you want some coffee?" She asked as she pulled out a mug. "Yes m'am, black please." He replied standing by the the table. "You can sit down Captain Rogers." She gestured to the chair. "There is a lady standing." He shrugged leaning against the wall behind him. She smirked at him. "I'm making breakfast. I don't want you to have to stand there the whole time if you are going to be old fashioned." She told him pulling out a cutting board and then a bowl. "Then put me to work." He told her standing straight and walking to the island in the middle of the yellow kitchen. "Alright, can you make the eggs? French toast okay?" She asked. He nodded his head, steeled toed boots walked across the floor. The boots were partially hidden by good old Levi's that were well worn. He went into her fridge grabbing eggs while she grabbed him a whisk and large bowl. She moved around the kitchen quickly, setting up on the other side of the island and looking up at him suddenly. "Oh I'm sorry I didn't even ask if you wanted to stay. You don't have to if you don't want to." She assured him while putting her hair up. He chuckled before answering "I'm helping you cook breakfast, I think I am staying,"

She smirked at him before finishing putting her hair up into a ponytail and washing her hands. He looked down at his own before hurrying over to wash his as well. "Do you mind if I play some music?" She asked looking at her Bose stereo and iPhone. "What kind of music?" He asked slowly. " I was thinking Billy Joel." She replied scrolling through her playlist. "Oh, well yeah that's fine." He replied smiling and pulling out a list. "What is that?" She asked putting piano man on low before turning to start making the french toast. "A list." He answered before crossing something off with a pen he had in his pocket before returning it. "Well obviously but what is the list for?" She asked as he cut slices of cheese off a block in her fridge... "Well, I missed out on a lot between then,' he made a motion to mean his past life 'and now. I have a list that I have been writing so that I can experience everything that people born in this time have." He told her while he put the blue notepad back in his pocket.

"Do you like any of the current music?" She asked slightly worried he would hate her current playlist. "Some. I prefer the country music because that is close to what I had. A lot of the current popular music makes me feel... Awkward for lack of a better term." He explained while scrambling the eggs with cheese. "Why does it make you feel awkward?" She asked. "It's very fast. I don't know how to move to it or find a rhythm. It also does not sound meaningful and music should have meaning." He tried to explain. "Apparently you haven't been listening to the correct music." Neil's laughed. The song changed to Hozier's "Take Me to Church."

He chuckled with her. They grew silent as Hozier sang the chorus, and Neila joined in. Once the song ended and Chopin randomly started to play, Steve spoke. "You have a pretty voice."

"Thank you." Neila replied while placing three pieces of French toast on a plate. "Pour vous monsieur." She gestured to the plate and then to Steve. "Thank you." He replied. He gave himself a large portion of the eggs and dressed his French toast. "Please sit down." Neila told him as he placed his food and went back to island. "What is the symbol on your necklace?" He asked looking at the Celtic trinity. "It's an Irish symbol that represents the three stages of life." She told him fingering the necklace she had, had since her mother died. "And the one you wear on your right hand?" He asked nodding toward her ring as she dished her own plate. "It is a claddagh ring. Being it is on my right hand with the heart facing outward, it means I am single. Another Irish symbol." She told him as they moved to the table. "Interesting." He commented as he started to eat. "So are you planning on telling me why I was almost abducted last night, by whom, and if I should worry about it happening again?" She asked nonchalantly after several seconds of silence. "Yes but it is probably better to discuss that in a more secure area." He told her. He looked her dead in the eye and she forced herself to breath. He had the most intense gaze she had encountered in awhile. "Can you at least tell me if I need a security system installed and should start back up with my kick boxing classes?" She asked. "Yes, and yes." He told her. "Awesome. Am I going to die because they think we are dating?" Neila asked not looking Steve in the eye. "Dr.D'Arcy, I will do whatever I can to make sure that does not happen." He told her grabbing her hand and turning her face so she looked him in the eye. "Alright then." Was her simple reply before she moved to clean up their food. "Thank you for the food Doctor." Steve said to her from the table. "No problem Captain." She told him before putting the dishes in the dishwasher. " I should probably head back to S.H.E.I.L.D so we can figure out how to best approach this situation." He declared before heading toward the front door. "See you soon Captain." She called as he walked out the front door in the oddest of exits she had ever experienced.


End file.
